Furnace-mold



(No Model.)

mvv/6559.5

E. WHEELER.

PURNAGE MOLD.

Patented Apr. 12, 1887.

WWW/ 4? ZWaeeZenj N4 PETERS, Pbnw-Llhogvjplger, Washington. D. C.

UNITED vSTATES PATENT OEEICE.

ELBRIDGE WHEELER, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

FuRNAcE-MOLD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 361.198, dated April l2, 1887.

Application filed Jury 26,1886. serial No. 209,086. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern,.-

Beit known that I, ELBRIDGE WHEELER, of Boston, county of Suffolk, and State of lvfassachusetts,have invented an Improvement in Furnace-Molds, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

In another application, Serial No. 200,022, I have described a method by which a union is effected between two or more metals or grades of metal; and my present inventionhas for its object to provide a furnace-mold in which to accomplish the said union.

My improved furnace mold is especially adapted to be used to effect a union between iron and steel, or two or more grades of iron or steel, either Bessemer or crncible steel, Bessemer iron or homogeneous iron or steel :made by the Siemens-Martin open-hearth process, or wrought iron or steel made by any other process.

In accordance with my invention the inner walls of my improved furnace-mold are made of plates composed of refractory material having a metal back, the said refractory material Vresisting the action of heat, preferably introduced into the mold, and by which a surface fusion is effected on one of the metals ofthe compound ingot, the said fused metal having been previously placed cold within the said mold.

In the manufacture of a composite ingot of steel and iron, or of varying grades of steel or iron, one metal, either iron or steel, will be placed in a preferably cold state within the mold, the said metal occupying any desired position therein. The metal 4placed. preferably cold within the mold will have its surface fused preferably by the burning gas introduced into the mold, so that the said metal may form a perfect union with the metal cast or poured into the mold. While the metal rst placed in the mold is being heated to the proper heatto produce a union with the metal to be cast, the said mold will be closed by a cover having a vent for the escape of the gases in themold.

In some instances in the practice of my invention the metal placed cold in the -mold will be a steel bar, designed to form the edge of tools or other similar articles, in which case the said bar may be placed in that position in the mold which it will have in the completed ingot. The metal placed within the mold may also be a solid pile of wrought or malleable iron or low-grade steel, or it may be scrap in any form, and when fine scrap is used it will, preferably, be held in a metal case or jacket.

Figurel is a sectional elevation of one form of furnace-1nold by which to practice my invention; Fig. 2, a top or plan view of Fig. l

with the cover removed and the case or j acket to contain ne scrap withdrawn from the mold; Fig. 2, a View similar to Fig. 2, showing the plates brought together; Fig. 3, a plan View of a modified form of furnace-mold; Fig.- 4, a detail to be referred to Fig. 5, a cross-section of the ingot Vproduced in the furnacemold shown in Fig. l, the section being on line me, Fig. Fig. 6, alongitudinal section of Fig. 5

on line x x- Fi 7 a to) or end view of al f g i modied form of ingot; and Fig. 8, a side elevation of Fig. 7, looking toward the left.

Referring to Fig. 1, A represents a pit to containin practice a number of furnace-molds, only one of which is shown.

The furnace-molds will preferably rest upon an iron bed, a, provided with a surface ortop covering of any refractory material.

As shown in Fig. 1, the mold is composed of an outside flask, a', of iron or other suitable material, the said flask containing within it four metal plates, b', (see Fig. 2,) said plates being separated from the outside flask by a thin layer of sand, a3, or other suitable material, to stop the metal from running into or through the joints of the plate. Each plate b is herein shown as having a facing, b, of iirebrick or other refractory material united thereto in any well-known manner, the junction being herein shown as effected by bending inwardly the ends of the said plates, thus forming recesses for the reception of the said facing.

Each metal plate b', of wrought-iron, or it may be of low-grade steel, has preferably formed integral with it lugs b3, (see Fig. 4,) herein shown in Fig. l as four in number, said lugs serving to support, preferably, metal bands 5*, (see Fig. 4,),which encircle the said plates.

The band b'L is sufficiently large to permit the plates b to fall away from one another IOO when the mold is notin use, the said plates being brought into close contact,as shown in Fig.

' 2, by Wedges if", inserted between the band b* and the plate b', when it is desired to use the mold.

As shown in Fig. l, the flask a and plates b', on one or more sides of the mold, are provided with openings c c in line with each other, said openings forming an inlet for gas supplied to the mold from a gasometer, G', or any other usual source of supply, by a main pipe, ci, said main pipe having branch pipes c c, adapted to be inserted into the openings, c of the plates b', said branch pipes being capable of being withdrawn from said openings to permit the same tobe plugged or luted, as will be described, with clay, or to be closed in any other well-known manner, the main pipe c2 having a valve, d, by which to control the supply of gas to the mold.

The mold will be closed by a cover, d', having its under face lined with firebrick or other refractory material, d, said cover being provided with a vent, d, for lthe escape of gases from said mold. The metal rst placed in the mold, and which is to loc heated by the burning gas, is herein shown in Fig. 1 as fine scrap e, contained in a case, e.

The case c may be placed in the center of themold, as shown in Fig. 1,orit may be placed in anydesired position in said mold, and when so placed the gas will be admitted to the mold and ignited therein. The gas is supplied to the mold until the case e is fused on its surfaces, so as to unite with the metal to be cast or poured into the mold. Y Y

As soon as the case e has been raised to the proper heat, the supply of gas is cnt off, the pipes c3 e* withdrawn from the openings c, the said openings plugged or luted with clay or closed in any other suitable manner, and when the said openings have been closed the cover l is removed, and the :molten metal to form the remainder of the ingot is immediately poured or cast into the mold, said molten metal uniting with the fused surfaces of the case to form a perfect union; but instead of using a case or jacket the scrap may be bnndled or held together in any common or wellknown manner.

Instead of admitting the gas at the bottom of the mold, it may be admitted from the top or from any other part of the mold, and when admitted from the top the openings c c will be dispensed with, the pipes conveying` the gas being extended through suitable openings in the cover d.

The metal first placed in the mold and heated to the proper heat to effect a union with the cast metal may be slabs or plates of scrap, pieces of old rails, steel orwrought-iron piles, or fine scrap mixed with pieces of scrap plates and contained within a case or otherwise held together.

Referring to Figs. 5 and (i, I have shown an ingot containing a soft-iron center, f, and a stcele1ivelope,f,sueh an ingot being produced by using the case c', containing scrap, or it might be a solid pile.

In Figs. 7 and 8 an ingot is shown consisting of a soft back, f2, with a steel edge, f, such ingot being adapted, when reduced, for the manufacture of edge tools and similar articles.

Then the mold shown in Fig. 1 is used, the plates b at the back of each plate are brought together (see Fig. 2u) by inserting the wedge b5 (see Fig. 4) between the band b and plates b', and the space between the plates DI and flask a will then be filled in with sand or other suitable material. After the ingot has been formed as above described, the flask a is withdrawn and the wedges b5 removed from the band D* to permit the plates to fall away from the ingot, thereby allowing the said ingot to be easily lifted from the pit.

Referring to Fig. 3, I have shown the space between the facings 11 as divided into two compartments or sections by a central tile or plate, 3, of suitable material to withstand the beat. The tile or plate 3 is recessed at its opposite ends, as at et, to receive dry running sand or other equivalent material, to stop the steel or molten metal from flowing from one compartment or section to the other.. In using this kind of mold one grade of steel or other metal will be cast or poured into one section or compartment, the tile or plateB being braced in the other section oi' the mold by braces 5 6. Immediately before the second metal is cast the plate or tile and its braces above described will be Withdrawn from the mold. The tile or plate may be made of such size and shape as to divide the mold into any desired or conceivable shape and proportion, so as to produce a compound ingot of two or more metals or grades of metals, said metals existing in the ingot in any desired place or proportion.

It is evident that the metals or grades of metal composing the ingot may be of any proportion with relation to each other; and it is further evident that the metal or grades of metal may be made to occupy any desired position in the mold to form an ingot, the component metals of which may be distributed through said ingot in any desired manner.

I desire to state that I do not limit myself to the means employed for heating the metal in the mold to a proper heat.

In some instances the mold will bc heated to the desired heat before any metal is placed or cast in the mold.

My furnace-mold is equally applicable for the production of sound simple ingots of cast metal, inasmuch as all air is expelled from the mold, and said mold being heated prevents the boiling of the cast metal, thereby obviating all porosity in the ingot.

l. In a furnace mold, a flask and plates therein composed of refractory material having a metal back, the refractory material of I ICE said plates forming the inner walls of the mold, and with means to heat the metal placed mold, combined with a cover for said mold within the said mold, for the purpose set and with means to heat the metal placed forth. within the said mold, for the purpose set Intestimony whereofhavesigned myname 5 forth. Y to this specification in the presence of two subr 5 2. In a furnace-mold, a flask and plates scribing witnesses. A therein composed of refractory material hav- ELBRIDGE WHEELER. ing a metal back, the refractory material of Witnesses: said plates forming the inner walls of the G. W. GREGORY, lo mold, combined with a cover, a vent for said J. H. CHURCHILL. 

